A New Jersey teenager is suing a company that created an artificial intelligence platform to allow users to create fake nude pictures of individuals after a male classmate circulated fake images of her based on photos she posted online when she was just 14 years old
According to Fox News, the 17-year-old plaintiff in the lawsuit is suing AI/Robotics Venture Strategy 3 Ltd, the company that created ClothOff, which is an artificial intelligence program that generates fake nude photos based on pictures of real people.
Fox News reported that the lawsuit claims a male classmate used ClothOff to remove the clothes the plaintiff was wearing in a picture she posted on social media when she was 14. The outlet noted that the artificial intelligence-generated photo included the real face of the plaintiff, which made the fake nude picture look real. According to Fox News, the lawsuit states that the fake image of the plaintiff was circulated on social media and through group chats.
The lawsuit, which was filed on behalf of the plaintiff by a Yale Law School professor, a trial attorney, and multiple students, is requesting that the court order that fake images be deleted and that the company be prevented from using the pictures to train artificial intelligence models, according to Fox News. The lawsuit is also requesting that ClothOff be removed from the internet and that financial compensation be provided to cover the emotional harm and loss of privacy experienced by the teenage plaintiff.
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Fox News reported that ClothOff currently has an active website online and advertises the ability of its artificial intelligence tools to “remove clothes from photos” despite facing public backlash.
According to Fox News, a disclaimer on ClothOff’s website states, “Is it ethical to use AI generators to create images? Using AI to create ‘deepnude’ style images raises ethical considerations. We encourage users to approach this with an understanding of responsibility and respect for others’ privacy, ensuring that the use of undress app is done with full awareness of ethical implications.”
The “Take It Down Act,” which was signed into law earlier this year by President Donald Trump, “prohibits the nonconsensual online publication of intimate visual depictions of individuals, both authentic and computer-generated, and requires certain online platforms to promptly remove such depictions upon receiving notice of their existence.”
According to Fox News, in addition to federal law, over 45 states have proposed or passed legislation to criminalize the publication of deepfakes without proper consent. The outlet noted that the creation and sharing of deceptive artificial intelligence-generated content can be punished with prison time and fines in New Jersey.
